Dan Castellaneta

Even if he had done nothing else in his career, veteran actor, writer, and voice-over artist, Dan Castellaneta's place in pop culture history was well secured, thanks to his singular creation of Homer...
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Guess there isn’t a South Park-style rivalry between Family Guy and The Simpsons after all. Seth MacFarlane, creator, executive producer and voice actor of Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show, will lend his voice to his network-mates The Simpsons for the show's season finale.
MacFarlane voices a charming married man whom Marge (Julie Kavner) inadvertently meets on a swingers’ website and – obviously – shenanigans ensue. Mistaking a swinging Ashley Madison-type website for a Dolly Madison-type cupcake site, Ben (MacFarlane) pursues Marge after they learn they share a love for a Downton Abbey-type TV series, Upton Rectory.
Also in the season finale, Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Moe (Hank Azaria), Lenny (Harry Shearer) and Carl (Azaria) win $200,000 in the Springfield Lottery, but when Carl takes off to Iceland – his homeland – with all the winnings, the guys embark on a Nordic adventure to get the cash back.
The hourlong season finale airs Sunday, May 19 at 8 PM ET/PT on FOX.
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We've really missed Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impression, donchaknow. And thankfully, it returned for a brief, wonderful few minutes when Inside the Actors' Studio host James Lipton asked with scrumtrulescent anticipation if Fey would allow him to speak with her version of Mrs. Palin. The result was, as expected, so great we want to take out behind the bleachers and get it pregnant. (Sorry about that; Fey also talks a little about why she wanted to get Tracy Morgan on 30 Rock before she goes full-Palin.)
But Fey wasn't the first person to be asked to bring a beloved character to the stark real life setting that is the Actors' Studio stage. She's one of a long line of actors coaxed into schtick by Lipton's gentle breeze of a timbre.
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Jim Carrey stopped by to chat with Lipton and the host requested what might be the best character reenactment possible: Fire Marshall Bill of In Living Color fame (or should I say notoriety?). One thing was clear: Carrey's still got it.
Mike Myers wasn't going to be outdone by the actors before him. On his second episode of Inside the Actors' Studio, he gave us not one, but two impressions. The first is his cartoon hero Shrek (8:18 mark) and the second is the pop culture phenomenon Austin Powers (16:29 mark).
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My personal favorite is the time we witnessed what The Simpsons' voice actor Dan Castellaneta looks like while he's contorting his voice into the vocal stylings of one Homer Simpson. Believe it or not, "Doh!" isn't even the best one.
The Family Guy actors also took part in the marvel of seeing actual people make those strange little TV voices, but as an extra treat Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstine even sang the iconic tune from the opening of the show, complete with Stewie Griffin's inexplicably British interjections.
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Of course, some folks don't go for known characters. Take Robin Williams for example. (Or for the only example, because who else can match his hilarious and wild eccentricities? No one, that's who.) When he visited Lipton, his impression interlude descended into his usual madness and it all ended with Williams wearing a pink pashmina on his head. Typical.
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Neil Armstrong's death was a reminder of just how huge the impact was of his touchdown on lunar soil. Not just to NASA, not just to the United States, but to the entire world. He was a true hero; the type of person that really made you believe that humans were capable of truly extraordinary things. Things beyond our wildest imaginations. Who didn't dream of growing up to be an astronaut at least once in their childhood?
It is estimated that over 450 million people heard his iconic words--"that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"--on the evening of July 20, 1969; nearly 13% of the world's population at the time (estimated 3.61 billion). From that moment on, humans were no longer tethered to the confines of earth. The world was at the beginning of an explosion of scientific knowledge and speculation about the universe that lived outside our proverbial doorstep.
Armstrong's impact continues to reverberate within people: it is regularly retold, re-explained, and played with in popular culture. People have dedicated movies, documentaries, miniseries and other programs to the monumental event. So what better way to honor the impact of this heroic figure than to see how his influence shaped the landscape he left us here on the ground. We've cultivated a few choice moments from the past few years to pay tribute to the legacy that shaped a generation and show just how giant a leap he made all those years ago.
Neil's Parents on I've Got a Secret: On the very day that Armstrong was accepted into the newest NASA space program, his parents were asked and then flown out to New York to film the popular show. Talk about turnaround! The best part, of course, is when Host Garry Moore asks an incredibly apt question. "Now, how would you feel, Mrs. Armstrong, if it turned out - of course nobody knows - but if it turns out that your son is the first man to land on the moon? What, how do, how would you feel?" Of course now we all know that to be exactly what Neil Armstrong did, but given that the question was asked seven years before the event actually took place, well that's just really f**king cool.
MTV Lands On The Moon...Sort Of: The classic and original MTV logo was all about the moon landing (where do you think they got the idea for the moonmen statue?), and was a nod to how groundbreaking both events were in popular culture.
Transforming History: Remember when Michael Bay decided to tweak history for the sake of giant metal robots in Transformers 3? Spoiler alert! Neil Armstrong didn't just walk on the moon, he and Apollo 11 discovered Autobot technology in a conspiracy-theory setting from when Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin "lost transmission" during their lunar walk, because of course they did.
Doctor Who's Secret Weapon: The flight of Apollo 11 was recently featured in the Matt Smith iteration of popular British show Doctor Who. The funniest line from the episode was related to Armstrong's vital role to, um, history? "Apollo 11 is your secret weapon?" - "No, no, it’s not Apollo 11; that would be silly. It’s Neil Armstrong’s foot!" The ship even nabbed itself a song on the soundtrack.
HBO's From the Earth to the Moon: The HBO miniseries From the Earth To the Moon about the Apollo 11 landing was appointment television, at least in my household. Gathered in the living room with my brother, sister, mother, and grandparents, we never missed an episode. Complete with been-there commentary from my grandfather's memory of the event, and well, what else is there to say? Played by Tony Goldwyn (with Bryan Cranston as Buzz Aldrin!), the Tom Hanks-helmed event was a fitting tribute to everyone involved in the historic mission.
Neil Armstrong's Back-Up: The 1995 film Apollo 13 wasn't about the Armstrong mission of Apollo 11, but it did feature the families of these future astronauts gathered around the television to watch the big landing. It was a nice tribute to the legendary moon man, and also an interesting juxtaposition considering how bad things were to get for the crew of unlucky number thirteen. Our boy Hanks strikes again with another movie about the Apollo program. Sounds like somebody had a bit of an astronaut phase!
Visits to Springfield: Armstrong also appeared in several episodes of The Simpsons. He voiced himself in the season 4 episode "Itchy &amp; Scratchy: The Movie" and season 12 episode "Worst Episode Ever" thanks to archived audio of his famous line: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" though the moment was uncredited. In addition, Dan Castellaneta voiced Armstrong on the season 10 episode, "Mayored to the Mob."
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More:
First Man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, Dead at 82

As we reported earlier today, all six of the adult lead cast members on ABC's Modern Family, including Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen and Ed O'Neill have filed a suit today to void their contracts with 20th Century Fox Television. And while this came as a surprise to some (co-executive producer Danny Zuker tweeted after the story broke: "So, anything interesting happen at YOUR office today...?"), it is not an entirely unsurprising move. In the history of television, there are many instances of cast members banding together in order to receive the pay they feel justly entitled to, and oftentimes, it works. Don't believe us? Check out some highly-publicized contract disputes from television's past below!
Show: Friends
Complaint: The stars (Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox, and Matthew Perry) knew that Warner Brothers (who bragged about it publicly) were making tons of money off the show--at the time it was one of the most profitable television shows ever--and decided to do a joint holdout (much like the cast of Modern Family did) in order to bargain for more money. They were originally bringing in $40,000 per episode.
Amount Requested: About $100,000 per episode, though Warner Brothers was trying to negotiate down to $75,000.
Amount Earned: They got their $100,000 and went on to reportedly bring home an astounding $1,000,000 an episode by the end of the series' run. Yowza! Those guys really took that Rembrandt's song to heart. Looks like it paid off!
Show: The Simpsons
Complaint: The longest-running show on television almost ended early when contract negotiations began during the 23rd season. Twentieth Century Fox claimed that unless voice actors--namely principals Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria--took a 45% pay cut, the should would be unable to continue.
Amount Requested: The actors fought back, with several alleged deals being volleyed around. Shearer claimed that he would take a 70% pay cut if he could have access to a portion of the marketing, consumer product, and syndication money (which made the company an estimated $8 billion per year at the time).
Amount Earned: In the end, Twentieth Century Fox wouldn't budge on the money participation, but the actors did accept a 30% pay cut to keep the show on the air, and the fans rejoiced!
Show: Jersey Shore
Complaint: The cast of Jersey Shore aren't as dumb as they look when it comes to contract negotiations. They, similarly to the cast of Friends also did a joint holdout on signing onto season three of the hit show in order to ensure everyone received the same amount. It is reported that the cast originally made $10,000 an episode for season two and $30,000 an episode for season three.
Amount Requested: It is unknown how much the cast officially requested, but it was alleged that Snooki, The Situation, Pauly D, JWOWW, Ronnie, Vinny, Sammi, and Deena requested somewhere in the $150,000 range.
Amount Earned: In the end, the cast signed into season three of the show making a handsome $100,000 per episode. Remember: never fall in love at the Jersey Shore, it's all about business!
Show: West Wing
Complaint: In 2001, the cast of the Aaron Sorkin show had a very public dispute about contract negotiations as it was uncovered how much more some stars were making than others. Because of this, stars Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and John Spencer banded together to renegotiate what they were bringing home.
Amount Requested: The four actors requested that their salaries be tripled.
Amount Earned: In the end, Warner Brothers agreed to double their salaries, bringing them each $70,000 per episode (they were originally making $30,000 per episode). However star Rob Lowe wasn't so lucky: he reportedly was making between $75,000 - $100,000 an episode, but the company refused to consider a pay raise for the actor, so he left the show.
Show: The Real Housewives of New York
Complaint: Heading into season three, the original gals (minus Kelly Bensimon) bandied together to request a six-figure salary per episode. Bensimon, who was still new to the series, signed onto a smaller contract without hesitation.
Amount Requested: It was rumored that the girls requested somewhere in the low $100,000 per episode.
Amount Earned: While details are scarce as to exact numbers, the girls did end up with something in the low six-figures to continue onto the next season. It wouldn't last though, as several of the ladies contracts (including Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, and Alex McCord) were later fired before season five.
Show: The Big Bang Theory
Complaint: The show, it can be argued, has a very similar level of notoriety, success, and critical acclaim to the first one on our list, Friends. And it's also run by the Warner Brothers folks. So it's no surprise that the three lead castmembers (Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki) initially tried to negotiable in their footsteps, by negotiating as a unit. However, that strategy (for whatever reason) quickly crumbled as Emmy-winning Parsons made an about-face and negotiated on his own.
Amount Requested: It is currently unknown what the request was, but there is speculation it was in the $300,000 - $400,000 range
Amount Earned: In the end, Parsons' strategy didn't work, so he, Cuoco and Galecki ended up earning roughly $200,000 per episode last season, which was still a huge increase from $60,000 the season prior. They also managed to secure $50,000 bumps each year over the next three years, AND syndication profits. Oh those brainiac nerds! So good with the numbers.
What do you think about the contract negotiations going on with the Modern Family cast? Do you think their raises are warranted? Let us know what you think below in the comments.
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Will 'The Simpsons' Call It Quits At The End of This Season?

It was revealed this week (begs03Oct11) that the longrunning series faced being axed next year (12) because it is becoming too expensive to produce.
The key castmembers, including Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith, each receive around $400,000 (£259,000)-per-episode, which executives at Fox wanted to reduce by 45 per cent.
Harry Shearer, who voices characters including Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders, spoke out about the dispute, accusing Fox network bosses of refusing to "share in the show's success" by granting the cast a portion of the cartoon's profits in exchange for taking the pay cut.
However, talks appear to have been successful - a spokesperson for Fox confirmed on Friday (07Oct11) that The Simpsons has been renewed for a 24th and 25th season.
The terms of the new deal with the actors and producers was not revealed.

The longrunning series faces being axed next year (12) because the hit show is becoming too expensive to produce.
The key castmembers, including Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith, each receive around $400,000 (£259,000)-per-episode, which executives at Fox want to reduce by 45 per cent.
Shearer, who voices the character Mr. Burns, insists he has already offered to bow to Fox chiefs' demands, but only if they agree to give the show's stars a share of the profits they rake in annually from merchandising and other related ventures.
However, Shearer claims his proposal was rejected, adding, "(There are) simply no circumstances under which the network would consider allowing me or any of the actors to share in the show’s success."
The Simpsons debuted on U.S. TV in 1989.

Following speculation the longrunning cartoon series would be axed next year (12), a spokesperson for the channel has spoken out about their issues negotiating a cut in the cast's huge pay cheques.
In the statement, the rep says, "We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows The Simpsons to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come."
According to reports, the cast, including Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith, each receive around $400,000 (£259,000)-per-episode, which bosses at Fox want to reduce by 45 per cent.
There is a long history of disputes between Fox and the show's voice actors over payment, with negotiations delaying production by several months in 1998, 2004 and 2008 after talks stalled.

Could it be true? Could the iconic, longest-running sitcom in the history of television be shutting down for good? It could be true if the financial negotiations between the cast and 20th Century Fox doesn't reach a conclusion soon.
The Simpsons' six principal actors (Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardly Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer) are facing a rather stark ultimatum: take a 45 percent paycut, or else -- the "or else" being that the show will end its run at the end of its 23rd season, which just premiered on Fox in September.
But how did it get to this point? Monday evening, Fox rejected the actors' other proposal to accept a 30 percent paycut with the caveat that they receive a percentage of the show's back-end profits, which are pretty sizable. Every t-shirt, toy, keychain, or candy bar with The Simpsons vissage garners cash in addition to the millions earned from the global syndication of the beloved series. Fox makes heaps and heaps of money from these offshoot products, so it makes sense that the people who bring these universally loved characters to life would want a cut. Unfortunately, that desire seemed to strike a chord with Fox in the wrong way because they came back with the 45 percent ultimatum.
So why is Fox doing this? Ultimately, it seems it's a way to drastically slash budgets. Even if the show goes under because of this stalemate, they'll still be able to reap the auxilliary benefits of syndication and merchandise. The ones who'll lose out are the six cast members, whose salaries under this new budget would drop from around $8 million per season to $4 million per season -- which is still a pretty decent salary -- or who'll lost their jobs altogether if they don't agree to the cuts. According to insiders, the issue is that they have no stake in anything outside of the show itself even though they've helped create the characters that adorn lunchboxes, board games and even Christmas cards. However, if Fox continues to hold out, it looks like they'll be forced to take what they can get or lose it all. We'll have to wait and see where the chips fall, but the odds don't seem to be good.
The Simpsons is part of Fox's Sunday Animation Domination lineup, serving as the prominent 8 p.m. lead-in for shows like Family Guy and American Dad.
Source: The Daily Beast

The Simpsons' bar owner Moe has bought Homer's home! Hank Azaria, who voices Moe in the cartoon hit - among other voices, is the new owner of Dan Castellaneta's Pacific Palisades, California home. Castellaneta is the voice of Homer Simpson on the show.

Alright, so the rotund, mustard-colored cartoon character won't be traipsing his way through Pawnee in search jelly donuts and Duff beer, but the man behind his signature "Doh!" sure will. The man behind Homer Simpson's voice, Dan Castellaneta, will stop by Parks and Recreation for the third episode this season. He'll play an "NPR-ish talk show host" according to Vulture.
With the recent addition of Patricia Clarkson as the much-feared Tammy 1, first ex-wife of Ron Swanson, and this guest star addition, this season is shaping up to hold a few exciting prospects. Then again, the show could have no guest stars and it would still be pretty brilliant.
Source: Vulture

Voiced Robot Devil in the animated series, "Futurama"; also created by Matt Groening

Was a regular on "Tracy Ullman Show"; also did voice of Homer Simpson in animated vignettes

Portrayed Aaron Spelling in the NBC TV-movie, "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels"

Released first comedy album, I Am Not Homer

Professional debut with Second City and Paul Sills Improvisational Game Theatre, Chicago

Reprised roles for "The Simpsons Movie," an animated feature based on the long running FOX series

Summary

Even if he had done nothing else in his career, veteran actor, writer, and voice-over artist, Dan Castellaneta's place in pop culture history was well secured, thanks to his singular creation of Homer J. Simpson, the loutish father figure on Fox's long-running animated comedy "The Simpsons" (1989- ). Castellaneta provided the voice of Homer and numerous other characters on the show, lending his elastic vocal talents to a host of other animated shows and features as well. If the series had not made his face a familiar one in households around the world, it certainly afforded him job security and the ability to express himself in a variety of different forums, including CDs, books, and theater.

Name

Role

Comments

Deb Lacusta

Wife

Met when they took improv courses together; married in 1987; co-written several episodes of "The Simpsons" (FOX)

Education

Name

Northern Illinois University

Notes

"I was not at all an extrovert as a kid and I really didn't feel comfortable speaking up. But if I could be someone else, I felt safe. In a way, if I could make people laught then it was even safer: I could sort of slide behind these characters and watch how people reacted to them, not me." - Castellaneta quoted in The New York Times, July 16, 1997

"I'm sure the headline over my obit will probably be something like, 'Homer Simpson Is Dead - D'oh!'" he says. "But you know, how lucky for me that I'll be known for something that's so loved around the world. And I'll tell you what: It's still a huge amount of fun to do." - Castellaneta to CNN.com, May 16, 2007